Mr. Willie Albert Willis’s life began eighty-eight years ago in Webster County, Georgia.   He was born on January 17, 1936, to the late Homer & Marie Willis.  He departed this life on July 29, 2024, in Bedford Heights, Ohio.

At an early age he joined the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Preston, Georgia. He later attends United Missionary Baptist Church with the late Pastor Karius McDaniel where he was a faithful usher board member.  He Also attending Richland Industrial School, where he played basketball in Stewart County.  His brothers, aunts and uncles and a host of nieces, nephews & cousins all proceeded him in death.   He was married to the late Wynona A. Willis (Robert Anthony III, Darryl Clinton & Kimberly Reed) in 1970.

He worked several years at United State Steel, which was later bought out by American Steel & Wire.  At the steel mill, he was awarded several times as “Employee of The Month”.   He also had perfect attendance, which he was honored with a seven-day cruise for he and his late wife.   His moto was to never be late for work.  Which he never was, even when there were bad storms and blizzards.  He would go out and warm up that car and scraped off the snow and headed straight on to that steel mill every day.

He was avid Cleveland sports fan of the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers as was as the Cleveland Indians.  He always wanted the lates teams’ baseball caps as well as sweatshirts.  But now, some of you may know him as the barbeque grill king. Whenever there was a holiday, Big Will (as we all called him) would light up that grill early in the morning.  He made sure everything was prepped the night before and up at the crack of dawn on his grill.

When he retired from American Steel & Wire, he enjoyed his retirement lifer for 30 days.  He said there was no way he could sit around and do absolutely.  Especially during the summer months after his garden and flowers were planted.  So, he then got a part-time job at Home Depot as a security guard.

Willie departed this life on Monday, July 29, 2024, in his home as he wished.  His wife, Wynona A. Willis, Homer & Marie (mom & dad): his brothers Homer Jr., Robert, M.L., Semmie & Vernon Willis, all proceed him in death.  His leaves to cherish, his 3 stepchildren, Robert Anthony, Darryl Clinton (Brenda) & Kimberly Reed, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.